Halotope

Thanks gashman for your excellent advice.

You say you can be challenged and do things you wouldn't normally do in training. What can of things are you talking about?

Thanks again..

p.s Fitter2, I hope my spelling is up to your standard.....

ArthurR

Gashman gives good advice, when I joined the RAF, I was afraid of hights, so eventally I joined Mountain Rescue(RAF Valley), then I did a freefall course at Netheravon, It didn't cure my fear of hights, but I did learn that it was all in my head, the fear was my imagination,
luck to you, halotype.

Pontius Navigator

Try abseiling. That will test your susceptibility to acrophobia.

gashman

oh, I don't know, eating a worm omelette as part of the classroom theory to survival training, running a few miles with a pine-pole during PT at Cranwell, annual dunking in the sea to practice your dinghy drills (usually in January!), inverted spinning in a Tucano, conduct after capture training, formation at night in cloud for the first time, caving, sailing across the North Sea, getting shot at by people who want to kill you very much because you have been asked to fly over their country.

The variety of the list is just a taster. The point is, the Service has no idea what is going to happen to you during the times that they ask you to put your life in danger (or if that time will ever come), but the system tries to prepare you for those moments to see if you (when the chips are down and people are really stressed), can cope and be part of the team instead of having to be supported by that team. I've seen other air forces do what we do, and all of us ask that you prove that you are worthy before we adopt you into the family. Do "interesting stuff" now to avoid disappointment. Air Training Corps will introduce you to unusual activities and see if the discipline side of it will suit you. If it doesn't, you can join venture scouts or something similar to pad out the CV, and more importantly become a leading member of the community which you choose to live in.

Double Zero

In asking about jumps, I take it this is a concern to you...

I'm an aerial photographer, and am happy to hang half out of an aircraft at 2,000' on a slightly dodgy harness on a rope held by a chum, but until quite recently terrified if 15' up a ladder !

The fear of heights DOES wear off, and anway if one thinks about it, jumping ( with a parachute ) from an aircraft at height should be fine, wheras falling off a ladder etc might result in nasty long term injuries.

My advice, for what it's worth, would be to get as much time as poss' as passenger ( or ideally trainee pilot but not necessary for this ) in light aircraft.

One finds the height becomes abstract, and just a good vantage point.

If vertigo affects your balance, that's a different thing and needs a good check of the ears.

Don't be put off by this, and Good Luck,

DZ

Pontius Navigator

The one time I really experienced vertigo was when I was sitting on the floor of the aircraft, my legs dangling 'outside' the fuselage, actually in the ventral blister, and I was looking at the ground through the large bomb aimer's window. It gave the effect of sitting on the edge of a 4000 ft cliff.

Quite unnerving.

I still need a pee when at the edge of a cliff or tall building.

Fitter2

Halotape:
7/10, some way to go.

All the posts are good experience based advice - but mainly to read the sticky thread at the top, that's what it's there for.

If you try mind and body stretching experiences, and still want to go for the career, good luck. If you find it's not for you, then the efforts will not be wasted, whatever you do.

Flik Roll

Agreed. Meltchett's advice is spot on because 9 times out of 10, they'll start going off on a tangent from your topic to another one - if you read a broadsheet/economist/the week cover to cover you should be covered

I'll give an example - I spoke about Trident as one of my 'home' topics and ended up talking about Iran and the nuclear threat as a result. Then from Iran I think we ended up in Israel

Wader2

Problems, yes, but what is the significance? Are there alternatives? What are the arguments for the alternatives? What is your opinion?

There are pages on each of these in pprune.

Once you know the 'facts', such as they are, you might like to form an opinion. Was the decision correct? Did it achieve what it set out to do? Is the alternative viable?

Some might say that replacements were not in place. Others that they will soon be in place. Others again that they were not needed.

There was one type, entirely suited to operations in Germany and wholly unsuited to operations in theatre. The former Defence Secretary, when he found out, wanted them withdrawn immediately.

See what I am driving at? Find out the fact then fomr an opinion; don't expect us to give you our opinions.

FNU_SNU

Thanks for the reply Wader2, I just wanted to make sure I was singing off the right song sheet. I'd neither want, nor expect to be 'given' an opinion per se, I woulnd't be a good analyst if I did - don't worry I usually have my own opinion!!
However listening to other people's opinions when they know better than me will help to form my own opinion; after all, is that not what happens during the fusion phase in an all-sources cell? You could argue that intelligence is information mixed with informed opinion.
The so called 'facts' can often just be opinion with a large dose of spin anyway.
I'll crack on seaching through the treads and see what I can dig up.

britmax

Hi guys,

I got back from oasc 4th april,waiting on pilot decision still. Found out one guy got in(pilot) and another rejected(pilot), got their decisions a week ago. I've had nothing apart from a failed blood test letter which is quite common. I know the raf only got my medical history questionnaire today(dam slow doctor posting it) and was wondering if they don't make a decision till they recieved that? or if it would be the case they would wait till blood test done again,however they told one guy to re-test blood then 2 days later he got another letter to come back in 12months decision anyway. Anyhow, the wait is killing me and wondering how long it's taking for some people to hear. i also know could be in the sift, but you still recieve a letter for this i take it.
Cheers

Amnesia180

Hi all,

I've got a quick question regarding EAWs.

During my Formal Interview (the filter from AFCO to OASC) I have been told I will be tested on my knowledge of my chosen careers WSOp and SNCO ATC, my knowledge of the RAF in general and my Background. These are the dominant topics of the interview (current affairs will not be tested in depth, but I will need to show an awareness of my surroundings).

Anyway; I've been reading as much information as possible, constantly checking back to the RAF website and am starting to read through current Operations (Herrick/Telic) and I've come across EAWs. Now according to the RAF website it says that 903 EAW is providing Merlin helicopters, operating from Basrah and Puma support in Baghdad. Now, if I then go back to the main Op Telic part of the website, it lists a whole bunch of other aircraft (including TriStar, C17, Tornado... etc).

So, my question to you is this; Is the 903 EAW only responsible for providing these two types of Aircraft (plus the RAF Regiment involvement) to Basrah and Baghdad?).

The reason I ask, is because I'm getting my head into a bit of a spin trying to understand the full involvement of these EAWs and whether or not I should just be learning the Operations and their goals or going into as much detail as possible.

My interview is in 2 and a half weeks! Excited!

Amnesia180

Just an addition to my post above ^.
I've done some searching on google and have found that an EAW is located at 9 RAF Bases around the UK, and to boil it down to basics; they're their for operational effectiveness. Meaning that all the support functions from those particular EAWs know each other, work together and are familiar with each other. They'll be operationally effectiveness which means the RAF can be out on Operation wherever in the world they are needed, because the "crews" are already pretty efficient! (i.e: RAF Leuchars is 125 EAW and has a supply function, force protection, group support, comms, media personnel [and many more] which can move out as 'One', including the Tornado F3).


Right, on a different note;
I've been trying to get my general knowledge up as much as possible. Here's what I've been looking at so far.

• My background! (Work history, educations, activities)
• RAF background.
• Knowledge on WSOp and SNCO ATC
• NATO (Amount of countries and current objectives)
• Expeditionary Air Wings
• Op TELIC
• Op HERRICK
• UK Air Defence objectives
• Reading 'The Week' weekly, and reading the Guardian daily, as well as keeping on top of other current affairs.

Would you suggest I'm on the right lines?

Daz1985

Your bang on the mark Amnesia, however the following may be useful to you also...

Bases: Where located and what’s located there. (Including those overseas and their function i.e. Ascension Island/ Cyprus etc.)

Ongoing operations outside of Herrick/Telic.

There’s also a list somewhere in the thread (which is very worthwhile going through completely from start to finish at the weekend) with all the possible questions you could be asked. My advice is to print them out, write down answers to each in bullet points, and learn the whole damn thing off, worked wonders for me

Amnesia180

Good idea about bases and other ops. But I think it's quite a lot to cram in for 2 weeks time, do you think my FI will expect me to know about where all the bases are and what is stationed there?

Although I'm sure if I start by learning where they are, that will help. I've got a map of the UK and a map of the World, i'll mark on there all the bases!

Daz1985

2 Weeks is plenty of time to get everything learned.

If my memory serves me correctly, one of the possible questions is along the lines of "where are we based overseas." If you're capable of recalling those, with the added bonus of what they are used for, you will get the "he knows what he's talking about" nod, and they will move onto something else.

They are trying to see how motivated to join you are, the more effort they realise you have put in, the more they know how badly you want that job. Once they know you have a section covered, they will move to something else, so knowing lots can only be beneficial, because if you start faffing answers you don't know the answer too... it's bad juju! Speaking of which, if you don't know the answer to a certain question, tell them the truth and they will move on, the last thing you want is to make yourself look foolish.

The more you learn, the more comfortable you will feel, the less nervous you will be, and the extra confidence you will enjoy.

ScrumpyJ

Does anyone know what sort of drop-out rate the cadets on IOT have at all? And the failure rate of Pilots during specialist training too?

Pontius Navigator

Scrumpy, by drop out do you mean 'voluntarily withdrawn from training'? This is analogous to a university drop-out. If you are wondering if you will be a drop-out then perhaps better not to start.

If, OTOH, you mean 'chop rate' then that is for us to worry about not for you. Your job is to do the best you can and to pass the courses. Our job is to equip you as best we can to do just that.

In IOT there is no planned chop-rate. May be one or two will VWFT; may be one or two will suffer medical failures - simply just not fit enough. May be one or two might have slipped through the AFOC/OASC filters but overall the aim is to pass all entrants out; may be not first time but ultimately.

In pilot training it is entirely up to you. You may prove to have insufficient aptitude but more likely a lack of capacity. I hesitate to put a number to this as my own direct knowledge is well out of date. Statisically it may well be valid but for any one course you cannot predict with any certainty the actual rates.

You do YOUR best and your instructors will do THEIR best.

ScrumpyJ

Thanks, and no i wasnt being negative at all. I was just interested as to whether a large portion of cadets failed the course or if most passed.

The_Scientist

Firstly, Hi. This is my first post and was hoping for some advice from any RAF personnel. Sorry if there has been a similar thread.

I've finished my GCSEs, going onto A-levels and i've always wanted to join the RAF as a Officer, in rotary or fixed wing as a pilot, however I cannot due to slight shortsightedness.

I then thought of joining as a WSO, something that I never really thought of, but it's similar to the role of a pilot, just without the control or flying of the aircraft (so not that similar really).

I posed this idea to my father (an ex Puma pilot) and he dismissed the idea very quickly saying WSOs were second class citizens compared to Pilots in the RAF and grey men who have a chip on their shoulder (his words, not mine).

I'm looking at the role as a alternative to being a Pilot and the start of a career as a officer in the RAF, I would like to work my way up the ranks maybe into Operations or having a command role.

What are peoples opinions of the job? Is being an Observer in the RN similar?

Thanks for any help.